Among the many ways to cook cauliflower, the cauliflower and potato bake is one of the tastiest and easiest to prepare. Excellent as a rich side dish or as a vegetarian main course, this bake wins over with its soft texture and melty cheese core.
The recipe for the oven-baked cauliflower and potato bake involves a mixture of boiled vegetables — cauliflower and potatoes — mashed and mixed with egg and Parmesan cheese. You can choose the cheese you prefer: scamorza, mozzarella, fontina, emmental… a bit like in the classic potato gateau. The result is a simple but tasty dish, perfect for the whole family.
To give a touch of color, I used the yellow cauliflower, a variety increasingly found in markets along with purple cauliflower. The result is a bake with a golden and inviting color, but of course, you can also prepare it with traditional white cauliflower.
Serve it hot, just out of the oven, with that irresistible golden crust on top: it will be impossible to resist its aroma!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Oven, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
- Energy 263.97 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 26.95 (g) of which sugars 4.21 (g)
- Proteins 13.22 (g)
- Fat 12.52 (g) of which saturated 3.55 (g)of which unsaturated 2.37 (g)
- Fibers 5.18 (g)
- Sodium 201.31 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 235 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Cauliflower and Potato Bake
- 21 oz cauliflower (weighed already cleaned)
- 12.3 oz potatoes
- 1 egg
- 3.5 oz scamorza (or other cheese of choice)
- 2.5 tbsp breadcrumbs (+ more for greasing; for me, gluten-free)
- 1.5 tbsp butter (+ more for greasing and topping)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Potato Masher
- 1 Baking Dish 8.5×8.5 inches
How to Prepare the Cauliflower and Potato Bake
To prepare the cauliflower and potato bake, start by cleaning the cauliflower: remove the leaves and the toughest part of the stalk (1), then cut the florets, dividing the larger ones in half or quarters (2). Weigh about 21 oz of them. Boil them in plenty of lightly salted water for 12-15 minutes until tender (3).
Drain them and transfer them to a bowl. Start mashing them with a fork (4). You don’t need a smooth puree but a mixture of small pieces (5). Also boil the potatoes whole with the skin on in boiling water until tender; about 40 minutes for medium potatoes (20 minutes if using a pressure cooker). If you have a microwave, you can cook them without water in a few minutes using the method indicated here. When cooked, mash them directly into the bowl using a potato masher (6).
While the mixture is still warm, add the butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg (7). Mix carefully with a spoon until the butter is completely melted (8). Let it cool slightly, then add the egg and Parmesan cheese (9).
Mix thoroughly with the spoon until you get a homogeneous mixture (10). Cut the scamorza into thin slices (11). Lightly butter a square baking dish of 8.5 inches side and coat it with some breadcrumbs (12).
Spread half of the mixture in an even layer (13). Fill it with the scamorza slices (14) and cover with the remaining mixture (15).
Top the gateau with a little breadcrumbs and Parmesan and finish with some butter flakes (16). Bake the cauliflower bake in a preheated oven at 392°F (static) for 25-30 minutes, until the surface is lightly golden (17).
Take it out of the oven and let it rest for about ten minutes before cutting it, to allow it to set. Serve the cauliflower and potato bake as a side dish or a vegetarian main course.
Storage
You can store the gateau in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, well covered or in a glass container. Before serving, warm it briefly in the oven or microwave.
Tips and Variations
You can enrich the cauliflower bake by adding some slices of mortadella or cooked ham along with the cheese. If you don’t want to use butter, you can use oil for the bake and parchment paper for the baking dish.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I cook the cauliflower bake in an air fryer?
Yes, use a baking dish that fits comfortably in the basket, then cook at 338°F for 20-25 minutes. In the last few minutes of cooking, check it often to prevent it from browning too much on the surface.
